42Synonyms found for fail

Word Origin & History

fail early 13c., from O.Fr. faillir "be lacking, miss, not succeed," from V.L. *fallire, from L. fallere "deceive, be lacking or defective." Related: Failed; failing. Replaced O.E. abreoðan. The Anglo-Norm. form, failer, came to be used as a noun, hence failure.

Example Sentences for fail

Many of the colleges would fail that test if they had to count military aid as federal money.

There is no question that you might fail if you try something new.

Most commenting systems that promise anonymity fail to deliver it.

But what many opponents of the project worry about is what happens if those normal operations fail.

For example, monkeys have shown signs of self-monitoring on mental tasks even though they fail the mirror test.

There are several points at which a saliva sample can fail to yield high-quality genetic data.

They become dogmatic about their specific practices and fail to question their relevance when conditions change.

Money borrowed without security is a debt of honor which must be paid without fail and promptly as possible.

The owners and the players will lose a lot of money if they fail to come to an agreement soon.

Few corporate histories better illustrate the fact that companies can make groundbreaking products but fail to make money.